Spirit have defeated Falcons 2-0 in the ESL Pro League Season 24 playoffs. The quarter-final took place on October 9, 2026. As a result, Spirit move on to the semi-final, where they will play MOUZ. Falcons, however, are out of the tournament.
This match matters because it paired two of the top teams in the VRS ranking. Spirit entered as the world number one, while Falcons were fourth. In the end, Spirit showed why they hold the top spot and did not give Falcons a chance to force a third map.
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Spirit Win Mirage and Anubis
Spirit began the series on their own pick, Mirage. They took control early and led 9-3 after the first half. Falcons won the second half 5-4, but the gap was too big. Spirit closed out the map 13-8.
Anubis was the map picked by Falcons. This time the game was much closer. Spirit led 7-5 at the break, and the second half ended 6-5 in their favor. As a result, Spirit won 13-10 and took the series 2-0.
Dust2 was the map left over in the veto. However, it was never played, because Spirit had already won both maps.
Donk Is the Best Player of the Match
Danil “donk” Kryshkovets of Spirit was the top performer by Rating 3.0. He finished with a 1.45 rating and a 38-31 kill-death record. In addition, he led the server with 95.1 ADR and a +5.10% swing.
Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich also played at a high level for Spirit. He ended with a 1.37 rating and a 36-22 record, as well as the highest KAST in the match at 77.3%. Boris “magixx” Vorobiev added a 1.26 rating and went 39-30.
For Falcons, Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov was the best player. He posted a 1.37 rating, a 37-32 record and 93.5 ADR. Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin followed with a 1.17 rating and a 37-34 record. Meanwhile, Nikola “NiKo” Kovač finished with 0.95, and René “TeSeS” Madsen had 0.88. Finn “karrigan” Andersen ended with 0.54 and a 15-34 record.
VRS Changes for Spirit and Falcons
The result also changed the VRS standings. Spirit gained 21 points and now have 2014 points. They stay in first place.
Falcons lost 12 points, so their total is now 1878. They also keep their position and remain in fourth place.
What the Result Means for Both Teams
Spirit now head to the semi-final of ESL Pro League Season 24, where MOUZ await. The team showed control on Mirage and stayed calm on Anubis. In addition, donk and tN1R delivered the key performances. Therefore, Spirit look like a serious title contender as the event moves closer to the final.
Falcons, on the other hand, leave the tournament in the 5-8th place group. They earn $10,000 + $40,000 for this result. Still, the loss is hard to ignore. Falcons were the ones who lost their first-half edge on Mirage, and they could not close the gap on their own map pick. Their VRS drop is small, but it came against the number one team. Finally, the result confirms that Spirit remain the team to beat in the ranking and at this event.
